Periodontal disease, ranging from gingivitis to more severe forms of periodontitis, remains a significant health problem and is a major cause of tooth loss in adults both in the United States and throughout the world (E. Reich and K. Hiller, Comm. Dent. Oral Epidem., 1993, 21: 379; J. Angelillo et al., Comm. Dent. Oral Epidem., 1996, 24: 336; H. Murray et al., Int. Dent. J., 1997, 47: 3-8; R. C Oliver et al., J. Periodontol., 1998, 69: 269-278; G. Ong, Int. Dental J., 1998, 48: 233-238; I. Haddad et al., Dental J., 1999, 49: 343-346; E. F. Corbet et al., Periodontology, 2000, 29: 122-152; A. Sheiham et al., Periodontology, 2000, 29: 104-121; I. Chestnutt et al., J. Dentist., 2000, 28: 295-297; U. M. Irfan et al., J. Int. Acad. Periodontol., 2001, 3: 14-21). It is estimated that different types of periodontal disease affect 15-35% of the U.S. population, which translates into tens of millions of patients (J. M. Albandar et al., J. Peridontol., 1999, 70: 13-29) and costs billions of dollars a year. Furthermore, periodontal disease has implications beyond the deleterious effects on oral tissues and structural integrity, and represents a potential risk factor for increased morbidity and mortality for several systemic conditions including cardiovascular diseases, pregnancy complications and diabetes (R. C. Page et al., Ann. Periodontol., 1998, 3: 108-120; R. I. Garcia et al., Ann. Periodontol., 1998, 3: 339-349).
Periodontitis is an infectious disease in which an inflammatory process is stimulated by the presence of plaque that may lead to loss of clinical attachment and alveolar bone. The most common form of periodontal disease is observed in adults and shows chronic progression (I. Brook, Gen. Dent., 203, 51: 424-428). The progression of periodontal disease relies on persistence of chronicity of the host response. Out of the hundreds of bacterial species present in the oral cavity, only a small number are involved in the etiology of periodontal disease (S. S. Socransky and A. D. Haffajee, Periodontal., 2002, 28: 12-55). The biofilm may contain bacteria, such as Porphyromonas gingivalis, Bacteroides forsythus, and Treponema denticola, the presence of which is strikingly related to clinical features of periodontal disease, in particular the pocket depth and bleeding on probing (S. S. Socransky et al., J. Clin. Periodontol., 1998, 25: 134-144). Some of these pathogenic organisms can invade periodontal tissues, dentinal tubules, as well as other areas of the oral cavity. Conventional periodontal therapy has emphasized mechanical removal of soft and hard accretions of bacteria from the root surface via use of dental instruments placed into the gingival crevice to mechanically shear the accretions from the tooth structure. However, scaling and root planning is often only partially effective in the removal of these accretions. Moreover, even in the case of easily accessible areas, the removal is transient and the bacteria re-colonize the root surface.
When virulent bacteria begin to flourish in the periodontal region, they release toxic and pathogenic products under the gum-line that induce an inflammatory response and can cause a chronic infection. As the bacterial toxins dissolve the alveolar bone, the gums and bone can recede together, exposing the roots of the teeth. In other instances, the bone can recede but the gums remain puffy and form a wall around the pockets of debris that have replaced the lost bone. In both circumstances, the roots of the teeth become exposed to either air or to irritating bacterial toxins, both of which can cause spontaneous pain or tooth sensitivities to cold, hot or sweet or sour food. Although the damage caused by bone loss is usually permanent, early periodontitis can be arrested with proper home oral hygiene and the risk of tooth loss is minimal. As bone loss progresses, more aggressive treatment must be performed to keep the teeth clean. If bone loss continues and the tooth support is compromised, the teeth become mobile and eventually are lost or need to be extracted.
Current treatment of periodontal diseases involve primarily the use of compositions containing antimicrobial compounds or various non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agents (NSAIDs). Systemic antibiotics have been used in the periodontal therapy (R. J. Genco, J. Periodontal., 1981, 52: 545-558). However, systemic delivery (e.g., oral or intramuscular) typically does not provide a sufficient concentration of antibiotics over an extended period of time to the gingival crevice area. In advanced cases of periodontal disease, surgical intervention to eliminate the periodontal pocket and recontour the bone may be performed. Splinting of loose teeth and selective reshaping of tooth surfaces to eliminate traumatic occlusion may be necessary. Despite these known treatments, there remains a need for novel, improved methods for preventing and treating periodontal diseases. In particular, methods for preventing and treating periodontitis-related bone loss are highly desirable.